The Portland daily press., 1887-10-19
MAINE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY.
Interesting Papers on Various SUBJ
Jects of Interest

The Maine Genealogical Society held their
quarterly meeting at Reception Hall, City
Building, last evening, President F. NJ. Ray
presiding. In the place of Secretary Bur
leigh, who was unavoidably absent, Mr.. Wat
son was elected secretary pro TEN. The
records of the last meeting were read and
accepted and the following persons made
members of the society Edward G. Rey-
nolds, +. G. Snow, n. j. Herrick and Henry
G. Peabody. Mr.. Watson then read briefly
from a copy Of the records Of Capt William
Reynolds who was one Of the leaders Of the
expedition to Canada.
The second paper was by Mr.. Chapman,
of Stroudwater, and was very interesting.
The subject Of the paper was adam Bar
boris Record Post and Thomas Brackets
Bible" The old stone post, Of which he
spoke, is situated in the town Of WeStbrook,
not far from Duck Pond and were Thomas
Bracket lived on the Duck Pond road. not
far from Pride's Corner in the same town.
Mr.. Fred C. Conant showed lease Of a
farm which was given by John Ley to John
Conant, Jr, and his wife and three sons.
Nicholas, John and James. The lease was
written in Latin ON parchment about $50
years ago during the reign of King Henry
VIII of England. The farm was in Gettis-
ham, Devonshire.
Mr.. Ray read paper on the execution Of
Joseph Drew, who murdered Deputy Sheriff
Parker of this city 70 years ago A throng
OF people gathered from far and near 10 wit
ness the execution, which was made in this
city in 1908. A man by the name Of Quimby
was arrested at the time. charged with being
implicated with the murder, but he was ac-
quilted. AT the time when Parker received
his death wound Drew was working in
blacksmith shop at Saecarappa, then in
Falmouth and Quimby was working in
saw mill at the same place. Parker came to
arrest Quimby, who started at once for the
blacksmith shop in which Drew was at work
making nails. The men locked themselves
in and refused to open the door for the
sheriff when he arrived. Thereupon Parker
forced open the door, at which Drew became
enraged and struck him with piece of hard
wood, which had once been a piece Of a
wagon or sleigh, once on the head, intiictng
a death wound, and once on the shoulder OF
back. Drew was defended by John Holmes
Of Alfred and Judge Nicholas Emery, and
Quimby was defended by Lawyers Mellen
and LOngfellow. Mr.. Ray described the ap-
pearanCe OF the murderer, who was only 25
years old, at the gallows; the gathering Of
the populaee and the execution In a very in
tereSting manner
Mr. Locke then suggested that some action
should be taken with the Maine Historical
Society In preserv ~ the records Of the diff
ferent towns of the State. which, he said.
were often much neglected. In many cases,
the most precious records were left where
mice would get at them, and they had often
been destroyed by fire. He did not know
what society could be more interested in the
matter than the Maine Genealogical Society,
and thought the town records should be re-
moved TO some place for safe keeping. for ih-
stance, the building given by Mr. Baxter to
tile Maine Historical Society.
Mr. Conant said that he did not know Of
any authority by which the records could be
renewed. and said that the only way to pre-
serve their contents was to make copies and
have them deposited where they would be
safely kept.
After remarks on the same subject by Mr..
Ray, who said that he knew the town records
were often very carelessly kept, the meeting
adjourned.